“In the turn of the 21st century, the early childhood education field in the United States has begun to take a big step forward in promoting early childhood mathematics education,” write authors Joon Sun Lee, a Hunter College education professor, and Herbert P. Ginsburg, a professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

They hope to add to this momentum by dismantling myths about young children and math.

The other eight misconceptions are:

• Mathematics is for some bright kids who have “mathematics genes.”

• Teaching simple numbers and shapes is enough.

• Language and literacy are more important than mathematics.

• Teachers should provide an enriched physical environment, then step back and let children play.

• Math should not be taught as a stand-alone subject.

• Math assessments are irrelevant when it comes to young children.

• Children learn mathematics only by interacting with concrete objects, and

• Computers are inappropriate tools for math instruction.

Lee and Ginsburg base these findings on “in-depth interviews with early childhood teachers about the key issues in early mathematics education” as well as on their experiences “teaching early childhood students, conducting workshops with early childhood teachers,” and working in early childhood classrooms. Throughout the article, the authors provide detailed references to previous research findings on how young children learn mathematical concepts.

The Math Gene

Researchers haven’t identified a math gene, but Lee and Ginsburg found that many teachers “believe, either explicitly or implicitly, that some children may be born with mathematical aptitudes or mathematics genes, and others are not. Some teachers even believe that children from certain groups (such as gender, ethnicity and race) are blessed with superior mathematical ability.”

The belief that some children are just naturally good at math can lead to the assumption that little can be done to help children who supposedly are not inherently good at math.

Tackling a persistent racial stereotype, Lee and Ginsburg write, “For example, while American parents tend to believe that innate ability influences their children’s mathematical achievement, Asian parents tend to emphasize effort… and tend to encourage their young children to spend more time on mathematics related activities.”

And while “the mathematical interests and knowledge young children bring to school may indeed differ,” the causes are “more likely to be their varying experiences, rather than their biological endowment. While teachers should be aware of and sensitive to these differences, they should never lose sight of the fact that all children, regardless of their backgrounds and prior experiences, have the potential to learn mathematics.”

Hiding Math Instruction

“Many teachers said they did not and should not teach mathematics as a single subject. They strongly believed that mathematics should be discussed only when children show interest or when it is integrated or disguised within other activities (so that children do not know they are learning mathematics).”

Of course, as the authors acknowledge, an integrated approach to math has merit. It allows children “to engage in, explore and elaborate on mathematics as it arises in the course of their in-depth investigation of a central theme or topic.”

But math also deserves its own place in early childhood classrooms. “Mathematics can be an interesting and exciting subject of study in its own right. Children are fascinated with numbers and shapes for their own sakes. Mathematics does not always need to be integrated within other activities, or sugarcoated to appeal to young children.”

Math Assessments

When Lee and Ginsburg brought up the topic of assessments, “the responses often included, ‘I don’t test or quiz my kids, especially in math!’ These teachers appeared to have a narrow image of mathematics assessment as a paper-and-pencil test.”

Instead, “To reach below the surface to learn about children’s conceptual understanding and the strategies behind their answers, whether right or wrong, teachers need to engage children in a dialogue, which we term ‘flexible interviewing’, asking the child to elaborate on his or her ways of interpreting and approaching a problem.”

Teachers can also “observe in the natural setting and at the same time give the children simple tasks and interview them.”

Continuing assessment that are “well-conceived” and “well-implemented” can be indispensable tools that promote “children’s engagement and success in mathematics.”

A Key Ingredient

“The most pressing need in early mathematics education is to improve early childhood teacher preparation and ongoing professional development,” the article says, but, “Currently, very few teacher preparation programs in the United States offer courses devoted specifically to mathematics education in early childhood.”

Given the rather wide gap between “new recommendations and the current state of classroom practices” in math instruction, it is essential for educators to get better teacher training and to engage in on-going professional development programs that keep them up to speed.

Eye on Early Education focuses on the twin goals of ensuring that Massachusetts children have access to high-quality early education and become proficient readers by the end of third grade.

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THE BLOGGER

Alyssa Haywoode comes to Eye on Early Education after a career in journalism that included writing editorials for the Des Moines Register and Boston Globe. She has written about education, human services, immigration, homelessness, philanthropy and the arts.